Tatler Impact Awards 2024: Meet the honourees making positive and significant impact in Asia and beyond

Rather than opting for quick fixes, Ang and Choo took a calculated approach to preserve their team and mission. “Any conventional short-term solutions, such as running fire sales, would harm us in the long run. Similarly, cutting fixed costs with layoffs … would mean losing many talented individuals that we will need after we’ve recovered. All these merely alleviate the short term issues; they don’t outright resolve them.” In a bid to keep Secretlab afloat—a company that had always prided itself on self-sustainability— Ang made a significant sacrifice, pledging his assets, including his houses and everything he owned, as collateral to secure deferred payment arrangements with banks and authorities. This dedication has helped Secretlab survive challenging times and evolve from a gaming-focused brand to a leader in ergonomic innovation.

Anchored by its product-first philosophy, the company’s approach to quality has driven its growth. “A successful company starts with a world-class product, which is why our mantra at Secretlab is always product-first,” Choo explains. To achieve this, Secretlab has heavily invested in building its in-house R&D capabilities. “We’ve built a team of specialists who do nothing but work on chairs and now desks full-time. These industrial designers, engineers and scientists are specialists who design, test and iterate every aspect of our products.”

Secretlab has also established an independent Ergonomics Advisory Board—composed of experts in biomechanics, orthopaedics and physical therapy—to validate its design decisions, and conducted research studies with the University of California, Berkeley, and the New York Institute of Technology to drive ergonomic improvements. This work has led to globally acclaimed designs. “The Titan Evo, launched in 2021, is the closest to our vision of the perfect chair—one that enables you to sit freely, allowing all kinds of activities at the desk while still supporting you ergonomically,” Choo says.

The innovation didn’t stop there; in 2022, the Magnus Pro desk debuted as a first-of-its-kind sit-to-stand desk featuring proprietary power solutions and cable management systems tailored for height adjustability. Both products have gained worldwide recognition from users and media reviewers. Today, the esports community remains a cornerstone for Secretlab, setting a high benchmark of durability and quality that the company upholds across all its products. “If our chairs can meet that high-level of intensity for professional esports athletes, they are good enough to support most users,” Ang affirms. Indeed, Secretlab chairs now serve not only gamers but also everyday people and notable figures, including chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen and composer Hans Zimmer. The synergy between the co-founders has been integral to Secretlab’s growth. “Ian’s the captain of our company. [His] stoicism and grit in steering us through [the toughest years] was incredible,” Choo highlights. “The most important thing is that we share the same values. Alaric has also been a source of inspiration for my inner compass. Our partnership is one that brought us to where we are today,” Ang concludes.

Professor Jackie Ying
Nanotechnology scientist

“Singapore has given me so many fond memories,” enthuses professor Jackie Ying. Born in Taiwan, Ying came here at age 7, when her father was appointed senior lecturer in Chinese literature at the then‑Nanyang University in 1973. Her family moved to New York when she was 15. “I was reluctant to go because all of my friends were here [in Singapore],” the American scientist, who today is a pioneer in the use of nanotechnology for human health, tells us. It was in Singapore that she became interested in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, first at Rulang Primary School, and then at Raffles Girls’ School. “I had very good science teachers, and I remember the interesting chemistry experiments that we did,” recalls Ying, who was similarly inspired by her teachers in high school in the US, which was why she decided to pursue chemical engineering at The Cooper Union in New York. “In the second week of my freshman year at university, my chemistry professor recruited me to do research and, the rest, as they say, is history.”

Ying received her PhD in chemical engineering at Princeton University, before conducting her postdoctoral studies in the laboratory of professor Herbert Gleiter, a revolutionary pioneer in nanoscience and nanotechnology, in Germany.

In 1992, she returned to the US to teach in the chemical engineering department at Boston’s Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), becoming its youngest full professor at age 35 in 2001. She had been teaching at MIT for more than a decade, when she was recruited to return to Singapore in 2003 by Philip Yeo, the then-chairman of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, or A*Star, to set up the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), as its founding executive director.

“One of the most important things that we did wasn’t only to set up the research institution, but also to recruit researchers from around the world. The other important mission was to develop our youth research programme to nurture young talents,” says Ying. “Over the years, we’ve had more than 2,000 students doing research with [IBN] through our youth research programme—and a lot of them young women and minorities,” she shares. “Some of them came back as staff, or as PhD students. We’re glad that there’s a lasting legacy when it comes to contributing to research in Singapore and also in talent development.” During her 15-year tenure, IBN grew to nearly 200 research staff and produced more than 1,300 papers in leading scientific journals, with over 650 patents and patent applications. And at least 13 start-up companies have emerged.

In 2018, Ying set up the Nanobio Lab, a multidisciplinary lab that is committed to improving lives through scientific discovery and technological innovation. Recognised for the interdisciplinary nature of her research, which focuses on the synthesis of nanostructured materials for applications in nanomedicine, antimicrobial agents, cell and tissue engineering, biosensors and diagnostics, and green chemistry and energy, Ying holds over 200 primary patents and patent applications.

She also founded numerous spin-off companies such as Cellbae, which develops and commercialises novel diagnostic assays and reagents, including the first made-in-Singapore Covid-19 self-test kit. For her achievements, she received numerous awards and recognition, including the King Faisal Prize for Science in 2023. She also became the first Singapore-based scientist to be elected as a member of the US National Academy of Engineering in 2021. “For more than 20 years, I’ve focused my research on biomedical applications. There were many areas we worked on, but the most exciting is when you see a direct impact on people’s quality of life when you develop advanced diagnostics that can help detect diseases early on and make them more effective and less expensive,” says Ying.

Earlier this year, Ying moved to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to take on the role as chair of the department of bioengineering and nanomedicine at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. “Saudi Arabia has a much larger population [than Singapore], so it’s easier to conduct clinical trials, especially for rare genetic diseases, as the numbers and frequencies are much higher,” she shares. “I’ve done a lot of work in cancer and infectious diseases, and now I’m focusing on genetic and neurological diseases. We’re working on brain-machine interfaces, where we try to decode the memory,” says Ying. “Some people might have an early onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. We can detect the part of the brain that needs to be stimulated, so as to help patients recover some of the memory without it deteriorating so fast. This is what we’ve been actively working on with a neurologist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital.”

With her recent move, “I feel like I’ve become young again”, enthuses Ying, reminiscing about all those years ago when she returned to Singapore, at the height of her career in the US, to take on a new opportunity. “Sometimes, we may be comfortable with where we are but as new opportunities come up, it’s exciting to move on,” she says. “Saudi Arabia is at a turning point. It used to be focused on the oil industry, but now it is looking to diversify and develop new capabilities—and healthcare is an important sector.”

Amanda Chong
Lawyer, poet, playwright

Lawyer by day, poet and playwright by night, Amanda Chong’s work is not just about storytelling; it’s about elevating voices often marginalised in society. At this year’s Tatler Ball, the multi- hyphenate was honoured with the Culture Award for her outstanding contributions to Singapore’s cultural landscape, which seem to be innumerable. In addition to her thought-provoking and impactful narratives—the most recent being her one-woman show Psychobitch—Chong co-founded ReadAble, a non-profit organisation with the aim of improving social mobility through literacy programmes.

Chong began her creative journey—while in the early stages of her career—after returning to Singapore in 2012 feeling “somewhat displaced, trying to find [her] footing in a city that had changed so much”. She found herself drawn to writing poetry as a way of addressing the contradictions and disparities in society. “Giving voice to that discomfort became essential to my work, and that really drew me into creative expression,” she expounds.  This led to the publishing of her first collection, Professions, which delves into gender power dynamics through a series of poems written from the perspective of a disgruntled muse, “a position in which women have historically been sidelined for centuries”, Chong shares. The transition from poetry to playwriting was both unexpected and exhilarating. 

Chong’s first foray into theatre came when the Esplanade approached her to write a family-friendly play. The result was The Feelings Farm, a musical that encouraged children to explore their emotions. “I developed it in collaboration with children from diverse backgrounds. This input was essential in crafting a story that resonated deeply with Singaporean children,” Chong says. She shares her belief that “art has a crucial role in building empathy and opening us to new perspectives”.

Building on this success, she wrote #WomenSupportingWomen in 2022, a play which delves into the themes of assault, and the complexities of feminism across intersections of race, class, and generations. “My interest in exploring gender and power through poetry and plays stems from my first job as a sex crimes prosecutor,” Chong reveals. The role exposed her to the harsh realities faced by women and, consequently, her desire to create a more equal world by challenging ingrained cultural narratives surrounding these issues through her writing. Encouraged by the support #WomenSupportingWomen received, Chong delved deeper into playwriting and pursued further training, eventually developing and staging Psychobitch in 2023. “This play draws deeply from my personal experiences, exploring themes of love, self-acceptance and healing. It also stars my friend and long-time collaborator, Sindhura Kalidas,” Chong shares.

Psychobitch was inspired by Chong’s relationship with an ex-boyfriend, and dissects the complexities of toxic relationships. “It was incredibly cathartic, probably the best form of therapy,” she enthuses. “One of the most impactful moments was seeing how the play resonated with audiences beyond just the toxic relationship aspect. At its core, is about the universal need to be fully known and loved. Seeing audiences connect with this message was very moving for me.” Chong adds that watching people respond positively to the words she had written validated the emotions she had carried for so long, and why she believes that art can be an important tool to reshape convictions and transform culture.

As Chong accepted her Tatler Impact award, she spoke about art’s capability to expand the space of compassion in this often polarised world. “I see [this award] as great encouragement to continue my work, which is even more vital today as societies fracture and atrocities are committed around the globe at a staggering scale,” she asserted in a passionate speech. Chong also expressed gratitude for the platforms that have allowed her art its wide reach to diverse audiences, reminding us that “the project of creating an impact on culture is a communal one”. She continued, “It requires each one of us to push back against inequality, to champion justice, and allow our minds to be changed by different perspectives.”

Koh Seng Choon
Founder and executive director, Project Dignity

Every year, on his birthday, Koh Seng Choon makes a wish on what he hopes to achieve for the year ahead. These birthday wishes he set for himself over the years have included cycling around Singapore, writing a book (he has written three so far), and learning to play Beethoven’s Für Elise on the piano. Each birthday wish is personal but when he turned 65 in April this year, “I decided to share [my birthday wish on social media] in hopes of inspiring people to look at their birthdays differently and make [each one] a milestone of their lives”, says the founder and executive director of Project Dignity, a social enterprise with a mission to restore dignity to the differently-abled and disadvantaged through vocation training.

Koh made two birthday wishes this year. The first is to launch Dignity Kitchenette, a chain of food kiosks that trains and employs people recovering from cancer, as well as those with early dementia or mental illness; and the second is to pass his motorbike license. He is already on his way to achieving them, as the first Dignity Kitchenette was launched this October at the Yio Chu Kang bus interchange, selling bento meals, breads and cakes, as well as drinks. There are plans to open five kiosks across Singapore in 2025.

Dignity Kitchenette is the latest initiative under the Project Dignity umbrella, which coincidentally was Koh’s birthday wish for 2006—to create a social enterprise to help the disabled and disadvantaged. “It’s my way of giving back to the community by offering people with disabilities a chance to support themselves and to show their potential,” he shares. “I never expected Project Dignity to become what it is today.” Koh grew up in Singapore from a humble background. He spent a number of years studying and working overseas. When he returned in the mid-1990s, he set up his own consultancy business helping small and medium enterprises break into foreign markets. At the same time, he wanted to give back to the community.

Besides donating money, he also set aside time for volunteering, from taking the elderly at nursing homes out for lunch to conducting entrepreneurship classes for prison inmates. However, something else was bothering him. “If you look around Singapore, you realise that there are no beggars, no homeless people, no disabled people on the streets. I searched for the answer—and I was quite disappointed when I realised that there’s another part of Singapore that we don’t see,” says Koh. “Why is it that this group of people are not well taken care of ?” This gave impetus to starting Project Dignity. The management consultant-turned-social entrepreneur decided to bring together his love for food with a social business model to ensure a more sustainable way of earning a living.

One of Singapore’s early social enterprises, Project Dignity leverages business tools to train unemployed adults with disabilities as well as intellectual and social challenges. They are then placed with employment partners in the food and beverage, hospitality and retail sectors, or employed within Project Dignity’s various ventures. Its first initiative, Dignity Kitchen, a food court with delivery service run by people with disabilities, opened in 2010 at Balestier Market and Food Centre with three stalls. Due to the increasing demand for help, it moved two more times to Kaki Bukit View and Serangoon, before relocating to its current 10,600 sq ft premises at 69 Boon Keng Road in 2021. It also provides free meals for the needy in the area.

And then there is Dignity Learn, an inclusive training centre which provides WSQ-(Workforce Skills Qualification) and SkillsFuture-eligible hawker training courses for the public. It runs a 22-day Train-and-Place programme for adults with special needs seeking employment. “I spent two years writing the curriculum for the hawker training programme. My mum tells me, when you die, don’t let your knowledge die with you,” Koh shares. “There are 18 countries that want to replicate this model because we are a job creator and solutions provider to jobs in the city.”

Today, Project Dignity employs about 200 people, with 80 per cent from marginalised communities, and 50 per cent are those over 50 years old. Some of its other initiatives include Dignity Mama, a pre-loved book stall located in local hospitals run by mothers and their children with disabilities. It also established a Hong Kong outpost in 2019.

“When we set out on this journey, there was no such thing as a social enterprise, CSR or ESG (environmental, social and governance). A social enterprise is a business entity with a social mission, so a big part of what we do is to balance the commercial and social impact—you have to be sustainable in order to do good,” Koh points out. For him, there are two things that are important in life: “Firstly, time—don’t take it for granted. Secondly, be more appreciative of the people around you. Without my family, I wouldn’t have pulled through [running Project Dignity over the past decade].” So the next time you are blowing the candles on your birthday cake, close your eyes and make a wish— you never know how far that wish will take you, as it did for Koh.

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